Icarus
Icarus was one of the three empires of the ancient times of Yorendoroth, and it spanned most of the Eastern Continent, but also held territories on the Central and Western continents. It was the most technologically advanced of the three empires, and they constructed many architectural marvels. Some of these continued to exist as ruins or, in very rare cases (such as Jerlendre), as mostly preserved cities, many hundred Yôr after the downfall of their Empire. It collapsed due to a devastating civil war followed by a ruthless invasion by the powerful Zhan'dorrah Warlord and leader Zhan'arrah. Origins The origins of the Icarus Empire remain a mystery, as no recordings exist from the time before they settled in the great mountain range later known as The Skyveil. There, they built the huge city Kâhe'trêln (lit. "Roar of Thunder", "Thunderhowl") around the mountain of the same name. Icarii legends claim that the Icarii were the spawn of Yôrren, their patron god, created to oversee and rule the world. A more likely explanation is that the Icarii, being a slight variation of the Ishilians, migrated from the Anbîrin region and later developed their civilization there. Clouding Crystals A unique resource utilized by the Icarii was the Clouding Crystals, or Binding Crystals, as the Icarii themselves called them. They were incredibly resilient - solid enough to be used as building materials or weapons - and grew quickly, allowing them to be used in large quantities. The crystals grew in large caves under the Skyveil range, and were dark purple of colour. Acording to Icarus myth, Yôrren created the material to bind the earth together, and the Icarii were their guardians. The other races named them Clouding Crystals for their peculiar ability to generate a thin layer of fog, an effect that increased with the size of the crystal. For this reason, Icarus armies and cities were often shrouded in an unnatural, cloud-like blanket of fog. Clouding Crystals and the Skyveil Clouding Crystals were also responsible for creating the never-fading cloud carpet over the Central Mountains. When the Icarus Empire unraveled, it was decreed that - to save their race - fifty-nine great crystal spheres would be placed in a great pattern all over the mountain range. When the final sphere was placed, the Crystal Forgers of Kâhe'trêln incanted a spell which activated all of the crystals simoultaneously, covering the entire range with a thick, virtually impenetrable layer of clouds. Rise of the Icarus Empire The people of Icarus eventually expanded beyond their mountain home. The Icarus Empire became one of the largest empires in the history of Yorendoroth, spreading over almost the entire Eastern Continent, as well as holding notable ground on both the Central and Western Continents as well. Southern Conquests When the Icarii emerged from the mountains, they were by far the superior civilization on Yorendoroth. Indeed, most of the races they encountered were still tribal societies, and easily conquered. Most of the tribes were enslaved, and used for hard labour, while the remaining tribal members, notably the elderly and the infirm, were executed. The Icarus Empire was, however, not unaware of the dangers of slave revolt, and had numerous regulations in place so that they would never keep more slaves than there were citizens in the Empire. As they spread, the Icarii constructed remarkably few cities compared to other, both ancient and modern, empires. Their empire was very centralized, with a only a single settlement being built in each newly conquered territory. Outlying tribal societies were transformed into agricultural complexes or other basic industry centres, where slaves would do much of the mundane work required for the Empire to function. The cities they built, however, were towering testaments to the superior technology and, some would argue, culture of Icarus. The expansion of the Icarus Empire also carried with it several technological advances for the races they conquered, especially in terms of infrastructure and arfificial rivers. Hailing from the mountains, the Icarus were experts at building according to the terrain, and to twist said terrain to work in their favour. Much of their infrastructure was destroyed when their Empire collapsed, but some of it remained, and were used even by the Gânians, hundreds of Yôr later. The Western Continent Although not primarily a sea-faring Empire, the Icarii possessed several settlements on the Western Continent. Before they clashed with the Texoatl Priesthood, more than one third of the continent was under their rule, and the majority of the islands off the western coast. The colonies there were mostly autonomous, having only very limited contact with the "core" of the Empire on the Eastern Continent. Under the lead of Hêb'Icar (Voice of Icarus) Jôrr'âdr Nîrêlm, the colonies formed what would later be known as the Eastern Icarus Empire. This sub-empire would prove to outlast its parent, but most likely, this was only due to their limited contact with the Zhan'dorrah. The Eastern Empire, however, had their own problems in dealing with the Texoatl, who saw the Icarus Empire as unholy, and an insult to their gods. Their first attack came when the Icarus was not even aware that they shared the continent with another sentient race, and crushed several of the outlying colonies. The Hêb'Icar quickly rallied his forces and struck back, but the overwhelming numbers of the Texoatl led to a standstill not far into the campaign. Skirmishes lasted from this moment until the demise of the Eastern Empire, and subsequent fall of Texoatl. The Central Continent